Many sports are performed on non-solid surfaces, such as snow, water or sand, using sport apparatuses adapted for use on these surfaces. Under certain circumstances, however, a user of such a sport apparatus may lose the sport apparatus under the non-solid surface. For example, a snow ski may be released from a user during a fall and may become lost under powder snow.
One previous device used to locate a lost ski involves a leash which tethers the ski to the user. However, if the user falls, the tethered ski is dragged along with the user, risking injury to the user and damage to the ski.
Another previous device used to locate a lost ski involves a long brightly colored cord attached at one end to the ski with the remaining length packed into a small pouch which is attached to the user's leg. In a fall which separates the ski from the user, the brightly colored cord deploys leaving a trail to the lost ski. However, this device is cumbersome and the cord itself is prone to becoming lost under deep powder snow.
The present invention addresses these problems and sets forth a locator device which allows the user to easily determine the location of a lost sport apparatus without risking injury to the user or damage to the sport apparatus.